Gallery: Major League Baseball's Best and Craziest Ballpark Hot Dogs for 2011

Kansas City Royals: All Star BBQ Dog

Kauffman Stadium offers eight different hot dog styles including the kraut and Swiss covered "Kansas City Dog" and the "Royal Blue" topped with blue cheese, red onions and bacon. New for 2011 is the hefty "All Star BBQ Dog" consisting of an all-beef frank covered in pulled pork, cole slaw, pickle slices, and dripping with barbecue sauce.

[Photograph: Aramark]

Houston Astros: Texas Most Wanted Dog

More meat-on-meat insanity. This one features slow cooked, chopped brisket tossed in barbecue sauce with pickles and raw onions.

[Photograph: Aramark]

Baltimore Orioles: Birdland Dog

Also In the running for most insane ballpark dog of the year, Baltimore's "Birdland Dog" tops a local Esskay brand wiener with slices of charcoal grilled pit beef, pepperoni, potato hash, tomato relish and crispy fried onion rings. Available at the Camden Yards outpost of Polock Johnny's, a small local chain that's been cranking out grilled Polish sausages and hand cut fries since 1921.

[Photograph: Delaware North Sportservice]

Cincinnati Reds: Meat Lovers Dog

Could this be the ultimate meat-on-meat hot dog? This over-the-top locally sourced meat atrocity consists of a quarter-pound hot dog from Cincy's own Queen City Sausage, wrapped in bacon, deep-fried and topped with beef and black bean chili, shredded jack cheese, and garnished with ribbons of crispy fried salami. All piled into a hoagie bun from nearby Klosterman Baking Co.

Amazing. If this is all too much for you, head over to the ballpark's Skyline Chili location for a Cheese Coney. Or three.

[Photograph: Delaware North]

Chicago Cubs: Vienna Beef Dog

After years of serving cheap hot dogs from a national brand, the Cubs have gone back to their roots and are now using Vienna Beef dogs at Wrigley Field, dressed classic Chicago style with sport peppers and neon green relish, and served on poppy seed buns from nearby Gonella Baking Company.

[Photograph: Levy Restaurants]

New York Mets: Shake Shack Dog

It's not a big surprise that New York's Citi Field has a plethora of hot dog options from classic Nathan's franks to veggie dogs and Kosher pastrami dogs. But I'd go for the New York Dog from the park's Shake Shack stand, a Vienna Beef dog topped with sauerkraut and mustard on a potato bun. Also available "Shack-Cago" style.

Washington Nationals: Extreme Loaded Dogs

Lots of new dogs at Nationals Stadium this season, including a new supplier, New England's Kayem, which also makes the world famous Fenway Frank. The Nationals' Xtreme Loaded Dogs stand serves up a variety of options all using all-beef Kayem franks, including a Vietnamese style "Bahn Mi Dog" topped with cucumber, carrots, daikon, cilantro and chili sauce.

Or try the "Tailgate on a Plate." It's basically the whole backyard barbecue on one plate: baked beans, shredded cheddar, barbecue sauce and a giant mound of potato salad all on a char-grilled monster half-pound hot dog.

[Photograph: Levy Restaurants]

Washington Nationals: The Heater

Another new dog at Nationals Park is "The Heater," slathered in Buffalo wing sauce, cooled down with blue cheese cole slaw and finished with a dash of celery salt. Other newcomers to the Extreme Loaded Dogs stand include the "Frito Pie Dog "and a Korean inspired "Kim Chi Dog".

[Photograph: Levy Restaurants]

Washington Nationals: Half Smoke from Ben's Chili Bowl

Even with all the new blue cheese slaw and Frito concoctions, your best bet might still be a classic Chili Half Smoke from the ballpark branch of D.C.'s legendary Ben's Chili Bowl: a coarse ground, grilled spicy beef and pork sausages buried under chili and diced onions.

Philadelphia Phillies: South Philly Dog

Last year's fan favorite, the "South Philly Dog" was one of three contenders for Citizens Bank Park's new signature dog. A riff on Philly's famous Italian sandwiches, split and grilled Hatfield brand beef dogs are topped with broccoli rabe, longhots, and sharp provolone on a seeded Italian roll.

Arizona Diamondbacks: California Cheesesteak Dog

Last year the Diamondbacks rolled out the "Arizona Dog," topped with chorizo, cheese sauce and fried tortilla strips. This year it's joined by the "California Cheesesteak Dog", a half pound charcoal-grilled beef frank buried underneath a pile of steak, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and cheese sauce.

[Photograph: Levy Restaurants]

Arizona Diamondbacks: Big Kid Dog

Chase Field has a wild array of hot dog options for this season including the carb-on-carb "Big Kid Dog" topped with macaroni and cheese and a big pile of Fritos. Concession stands will also offer a rotating selection of hot dog specials including a kraut and thousand-island topped "Deli Dog" and a "Burger Dog" featuring a tube shaped hamburger topped with mustard, ketchup and pickles.

[Photograph: Levy Restaurants]

Boston Red Sox: Fenway Frank

I doubt you'll be seeing habanero aioli or deep fried bacon on top of a Fenway Frank anytime soon. The only change in recent years was the switch from Sara Lee franks to the spicier, local Kayem dogs. Served on a soft white top split bin, the Fenway Frank is an oasis of simplicity in a world full of complicated hot dogs.

Minnesota Twins: Twins Dog

Rather than focusing on toppings, the Twins have instead partnered with Schweigert's Meats, a local Minnesota company that started as a grocery in 1937, to produce four different signature frankfurters. The traditional pork and beef "Original Twins Dog" is based on the original recipe franks served at the Twins' Metropolitan Stadium in 1960.

[Photograph: Delaware North]

Minnesota Twins: Dinger Dog

Also available at Target Field are Schweigert Meats' "Dinger Dogs," extra long, grilled beef and pork dogs, as well as the coarse ground, natural casing beef and pork "Dugout Dogs", sold in the stands from steam boxes by vendors in retro attire. Awesome.

[Photograph: Delaware North]

St. Louis Cardinals: BBQ Bacon Dog

Another entry in the bacon overload category, Busch Field's stunning bacon-wrapped dog is cooked on a flat top grill and piled high with baked beans, dill pickles, pico de gallo, barbecue sauce, spicy mayo and fried "tobacco onions," served on a bun from nearby Fazio's Bakery. $8.75 for this massive dog that was named the best in St Louis by the Riverfront Times in 2010.

[Photograph: Delaware North]

Los Angeles Dodgers: Doyer Dog

Probably the least authentic of this year's Mexican-themed ballpark dogs—especially for something that's supposed to honor the team's Spanish speaking fans—the "Doyer Dog" is topped with chili, chopped tomatoes, Wiz style cheese sauce, and pickled jalapenos from a jar. Authentic or not, it still looks good in that 7-Eleven at 3 AM sort of way. Don't worry, the original Dodger Dog is still available too!

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: It's In The Alley Dog

Angels stadium had a hit with last year's bacon-wrapped Halo Dog inspired by the Mexican style hot dogs sold from makeshift carts all over Los Angeles. This year they're pushing it even further with the "It's In The Alley Dog," a massive half pound hot dog wrapped in bacon, and topped with Anaheim chilis, guacamole, pico de gallo and sour cream. It's available only at the VIP Diamond Club.

[Photograph: Aramark]

San Diego Padres: Sonoran Dog

Every stadium in the country seems to be doing Mexican inspired hot dogs, and Petco Park's Sonoran dogs look like the closest to the real thing. Bacon-wrapped dogs are jammed into a roll filled with beans, mayo, mustard, salsa verde and topped with grilled peppers and onions.

Seattle Mariners: Torta De Salchicha

Seattle's Safeco Field might have some of the most modern ballpark food in the country. Grass fed burgers, a brand new branch of Connecticut's legendary Modern Apizza, and all sorts of hot dogs including this Hot Dog Torta, consisting of a split natural casing Cloverdale brand hot dog, red onions, avocado and jalapenos.

[Photograph: Seattle Mariners]

Seattle Mariners: Hot Dog Nachos

Along with the Hot Dog Torta at the Flying Turtle Cantina in Safeco Field, also on the menu are these insanehot dog nachos. Amazing.

[Photograph: Seattle Mariners]

Seattle Mariners: Ivar Dog

Along with all the new stuff, Safeco Field is still cranking out its popular signature "hot dog" which is actually two lightly battered and fried cod filets and cole slaw on a bun. Also on the menu for 2011 is the cream cheese slathered "Seattle Dog," served on a pretzel bun.

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